Believing in the concept of delivering education with work experience, the Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship And Development (iLEAD) in Kolkata has combined regular university curriculum with practical industry exposure. At iLEAD, education isn’t confined within classrooms but beyond that the students get opportunities to learn and work with industry experts.
iLEAD recently started its own production vertical iLEAD Films and produced its very first commercial Hindi film ‘Before You Die’. The movie released in 300 theatres across India on February 18th 2022.
This is the first time in India that a media and film institute has produced a commercial movie. It also provided an exclusive opportunity to the students to work in the movie as key crew members. Almost 40 students from the media and film departments of iLEAD has worked in the film and gained experience in various aspects of filmmaking including scripting, production, editing, cinematography, costume and more.
Mr. Pradip Chopra, Chairman of iLEAD and Producer of ‘Before You Die’, established the production vertical primarily with the objective of starting a film hub in Bengal suited for pan India viewers.
“The idea was to produce a movie with a social message for pan Indian audience from the land of Bengal. That’s why we have focused on many of the unique locations of Bengal as well. But then I thought why not involve our students in the process? This opportunity paved way for practical experience and hands on training in filmmaking for our students. Now iLEAD Films will keep making such movies and our students will be able to work in their first film project during their academic years only”, he said.
“The fact that iLEAD itself gave us the opportunity to work with professionals in our first film, that is something I don’t think any one else would have been able to provide us”, said Shanaia Debasmita Mondal, a student from the batch of B.Sc in Film and Television who worked in Before You Die.
The institute also provides the scope of ‘Earn While You Learn’. It is an opportunity for the students to gather first-hand experience via paid work through iLEAD. Rudrani Hazra from the batch of M.Sc in Media Science is a student working under this scheme.
“I’ve been working as the social media manager at iLEAD for nearly a year. And it has altered my perspective on my career. This internship, which later turned into a part-time job, assisted me in discovering my passion for marketing. It also provided me with a setting in which I could put all of my theoretical knowledge and ideas into practice, allowing me to vastly improve my skill set. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”, Rudrani said.
iLEAD’s core principle, like its name, is entrepreneurship. The institute believes in creating job creators rather than job seekers. Hence, in order to provide the students with practical industry exposure, iLEAD has collaborated with various industry organizations for its courses. “These collaborations help iLEAD in providing students with the much-needed practical training and industry exposure. At iLEAD, we not only impart education but also nourish and develop skills. That’s how we create leaders of tomorrow”, concluded Mr. Chopra.
